The 2020 county season will begin on 1 August, the England and Wales Cricket Board has verified.
Closing acceptance for the formats to be played by men’s groups will be approved early in July at a assembly of the 18 very first-class clubs.
Two competitions of four-day and Twenty20 cricket have been beneath discussion, dependent on regional teams.
“Organizing for the return of the women’s domestic recreation remains ongoing,” reported ECB chief executive Tom Harrison.
There has been no cricket on the United kingdom mainland so much this 12 months simply because of the coronavirus pandemic, but England will start a powering-shut-doorways Exam sequence against West Indies following month.
The County Championship need to have started on 12 April but as an alternative all golf equipment, besides Surrey and Lancashire, furloughed gamers and other staff under the government’s occupation retention plan.
And the lockdown intended that inaugural season of The Hundred, the ECB’s new match that includes eight regional groups, was set back to 2021, with salaries for the men’s groups diminished.
‘Safety the initial priority’
Harrison said environment a date to start the county year was a “significant step” and it is intended that a complete fixtures schedule will be revealed following the counties’ assembly.
He extra: “It follows considerable consultation amongst the 18 initially-course counties, the Qualified Cricketers’ Affiliation and ECB and has only been achievable thanks to the considerable hard get the job done that continues to occur as we get ready for a domestic time contrary to any the sport has confronted right before.
“It need to be pressured that the protection of our players, staff and officers has been the first precedence via all discussions and government assistance will continue to form our arranging and planning.”
‘There’s likely to be a massive aged debate’
Before this thirty day period, Sussex chief govt Rob Andrew instructed the BBC that selections currently being mentioned included a “significant crimson-ball cricket” competitors and a T20 Blast, based on three regionalised teams of 6 groups and each individual culminating in a remaining.
Nonetheless, Andrew stated that if the 4-working day/T20 Blast plan was not achievable, then a 50-more than level of competition could present a third solution.
Speaking just after Monday’s announcement, Gloucestershire chief govt Will Brown claimed he expects a “big old discussion among the the counties” to finalise a agenda.
“There are a few of possibilities out there,” he instructed BBC Radio Gloucestershire. “There’s a reasonable opportunity we will see all 3 formats. There is certainly likely to be a huge old debate amid the counties next 7 days to make a decision it all.
“With any luck , we are going to have time for a pair of friendlies in opposition to some of our neighbours as a heat-up.”
The likelihood of allowing supporters into grounds at some phase during the shortened period would count on a peace of government pointers.
Some counties have made available reside online streaming of game titles in preceding seasons.
Brown included: “We invested at the commence of the calendar year in a whole lot of fantastic high definition cameras.
“We now have a right production in which you can see the ball going to the boundary, relatively than just conclusion-on pictures.
“That, with a good bit of BBC radio commentary around the best, and we are as great as anyone.”
Women’s elite structure currently being planned
The Women’s Super League competition was finished previous summertime, but Harrison insisted the board’s dedication for their domestic activity – which is now based all-around 8 regional hubs – was “unwavering”.
A team of 24 England gamers are in teaching ahead of a probable tri-series against India and South Africa in September, whilst many others have been specified regional retainers as portion of a go toward bigger professionalism.
Harrison ongoing: “Our potent choice is that the women’s new elite domestic composition starts off this summer months and we will operate difficult to be certain that transpires.
“For this to be attained, brand name new infrastructure nonetheless requires to be rolled out, together with imperatives we want in place when enjoying competitive cricket in the course of a pandemic.
“In the celebration that proves not possible, we will explore other options for perform to enable our women’s gamers to appreciate competitive domestic cricket in 2020.”
